Brands Sweet Meadows hay: bad batch, or what?

[MSRix]

I received a large shipment of Sweet Meadows hay and pellets. The pellets are fine but the hay is beyond horrible! Admittedly it smells good but is very dry, more than half brown, and full of prickly dark-brown stems I cannot identify. It's the second day and the piggies won't go near the rack now! I found a local pet food shop that sells Oxbow and will have to ask my wife to grab a bag tomorrow. Sweet Meadows is off my shopping list for good.

 

[mekat]

It is frustrating when a product isn't up to par. This happened to someone else recently and the Sweet Meadow owners were more then responsive in correcting the situation satisfactorily. You should try to resolve your issues directly with the company if you can.

 

[Silverbeat]

I have never gotten hay from Sweet Meadow, I buy local hay here in NY.
Sweet Meadow is in Massachusetts, and I suspect they didn't have a great haying season. Last summer here in the northeast it was unseasonably wet, it made for a terrible hay harvest. My pigs don't care, they just pick through the hay and find what they like, they eat about 3/4ths of the hay I put in front of them. Better luck next season.. nature isn't always perfect.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Hay is seasonal.

I'd contact them. They may offer to replace it.

 

[Duffinvt]

I've had good luck with them. They are super at customer relations so email them and tell them and I am sure they will make it right.

 

[ryounce]

I usually buy from a farmer in NY but took a chance and bought sweet meadow hay this round and am very sorry I switched. It is 1/2 the quality of the hay I usually get. And first time I used it one of my pigs was poked in the eye (Already been to the vet and discussed the whole thing in another thread). Now I am not saying its the hays fault it could have just been coincidental. I am not happy about the switch or the injury so I'll just go back to my original hay provider. Kleen Mamas is to expensive with the shipping all the way to delaware...

 

[MSRix]

Sweet Meadow refunded my money immediately, as well as apologized for what turned out to be awful 1st cut batch. It'll be a while until I reorder there - found a local feed store that carries Oxbow hay - but such business attitude deserves nothing but respect.

 

[rabbitsncavyluv]

Hay really is a natural product. It isn't going to be always perfect due to weather and how they harvest it, like any food product.

 

[hurleyslave]

Oh no, I haven't checked the quality of the hay I bought yet but I think I also purchased the hay around the same time that you did. I purchased the Guinea Grab which had 5 bags of hay plus one 10lb. bag of pellets. I haven't used the hay yet because I'm still trying to get through my bag of Kaytee (but at this point I hate it so much that I might just donate it to the local rescue who rarely has any hay around for the piggies except for alfalfa and they're all over 6 months) but I hate Kaytee so much it's not even funny. I've managed to jam a hard piece of Kaytee hay into my pinky finger and it bled. I'm always scared that my piggie will poke himself in the eye with that hay as well. I don't want to use it but I can't return it anymore and it cost $7...

Can I ask what type of hay you purchased from Sweet Meadow Farm? I might have to go home and check the quality of the hay.

 

[MSRix]

I got their deal pack, a bag of pellets and 5 bags of hay. Don't remember the deal's name, sorry. The pellets are wonderful, by the way.

 

[Duffinvt]

The pellets are really super, and as others said we had a terrible season last year here in the Northeast. I am glad they refunded your money. I had a bad batch of KM and she replaced it with no question. Things like this just happen and I hope everyone will keep buying from these good folks. In these hard times they need our business to continue on.

 

[suzilovespiggie]

I have been so lucky with my buying of hay. I have been buying timothy, bermuda, and mixed by the bale from my local feed store. I have never had a bad bale. I just bought a new bale of timothy yesterday. It is very green smells great and my pigs and rabbits can't get enough of it.
From what I have read on this site, those sites that sell hay have usually been very reputable and have sold a good product. They have been good about refunding a not so good product. If you can check out finding a lcoal feed store. I have never had a problem with the several feed stores I use. Both for pellets and hay.

 

[Azusanga]

Hay can be crazy, sometimes you just get a bad batch. A friend of mine found a frog in her hay when she opened it one time! Send it back and request a new batch.

As others have said, hay IS seasonal.